Discount Diva
Discount Diva: Novel idea for bargains on books
Whoever says people don’t read anymore has never tried to get a seat at Barnes and Noble.
I’m guessing there are plenty of people out there like me, whose dream vacation involves nothing more than a porch swing and a thick novel.
Whose greatest fantasy is being locked in the library overnight.
Who were downright chilled by that “Twilight Zone” episode where the last man on Earth finds a big pile of books — then shatters his reading glasses.
Every Saturday when I was a kid, my dad and I would hop into his clunker and zoom down to the Village Green Bookstore. I would pick out the fattest paperback I could find to last me until Sunday.
The Village Green may be gone, but book hunting still is my favorite way to spend a weekend.
Here are some ways I’ve found to feed my addiction:
• The Online Books Page, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania, has gathered more than 30,000 public domain books in full text online at www.OnlineBooks.library.upenn.edu . You can search the site by title and author, or skim through some of the cool genres it features, such as “Banned Books,” “Prize Winners” and “A Celebration of Women Writers.”
Though reading from a bright, white computer screen can be like staring at a lightbulb, printing a copy isn’t economical.
• Hands down, my favorite bookstore in Western New York is the Book Outlet. Tucked into the historic Wurlitzer Building on Niagara Falls Boulevard in North Tonawanda, you’ll find what seems like miles of books of every kind.
Don’t mistake its nondescript red and white sign for other book outlets you might have been disappointed by in your lifetime. This place has the goods. And the best part? Every single thing is at least 75 percent off!
And we’re not talking books you have never heard of, or silly coffee table books that couldn’t sell anywhere else.
Sure, it takes about a year for the newest releases to show up, but by the time everyone else is scooping up the paperback, you’ll have your hands on the hardcover for a fraction of the price.
Be sure to check out the clearance tables nearest the door first. I regularly pick up lush finds like the 698-page “Portable Thoreau” there (originally $18) for less than a buck. Sometimes a corner is crunched or a page is ripped, but usually the books in the clearance section are in perfect shape, just waiting for a good home.
There are Book Outlet locations in Buffalo, Amherst, Williamsville, West Seneca and Niagara Falls.
• Becoming a member at Talking Leaves Book Store is the best $5 you’ll ever spend. Membership gets you 10 percent off books and calendars, excluding some special orders. This can pay off extra-heartily for college students whose textbook orders go through the store’s Main Street location.
• Make an offer at estate sales, yard sales and flea markets.
I once got a small library’s worth of notable hardcovers at a garage sale in Lockport for $20 — and I even got to keep the trunk they came in!
Share your money saving tips on the money smart blog at www.BuffaloNews.com/MoneySmart .
You can also e-mail money@buffnews.com or call the MoneySmart consumer hot-line at 849-4618.
